Kojirō Inari Jinja (古地老稲荷神社)

Kojiro Inari Jinja (古地老稲荷神社)

The entrance of Happo-en

Kojiro Inari Jinja (古地老稲荷神社) is an Inari shrine enshrining the kami Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto (宇迦魂之命).  It is located next to the entrance of Happo-en in the Shirokanedai District of Minato-ku, Tokyo.

During the Edo period, fires were so frequent that they were often called a hallmark of Edo.  As a result, fire-prevention Inari shrines became widespread.  Kojiro Inari Jinja is said to have been founded on Hiyoshi-zaka in 1830, based on an oracle that proclaimed, "As long as my ennichi continues, no fire shall be seen in this land."  Remarkably, the shrine's ennichi were almost always marked by signs of rain, further cementing its reputation as a "Fire-Preventing Inari."

Kojiro Inari Jinja (古地老稲荷神社)

In 1915, the shrine was relocated to its current location.  The area remained untouched by fire during significant disasters, including the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the Bombing of Tokyo during World War II.